


The Cavern

by thedragontongue



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Blight, Death, Deep Roads, F/M, I suppose, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Maker/ Andraste talk, Slight horror, Taint - Freeform, also mentions of RAPE, oh my, this shit is hella sad, why did I think of this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2018-09-11 15:56:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8997322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedragontongue/pseuds/thedragontongue
Summary: Thom Rainier receives terrible news from Grey-Wardens who stumbled upon a horrific scene in the deep roads.





	1. Memento Mori

**Author's Note:**

> CW (Content Warning): [ just in case you didn't read the tags] there is a brief mention of implied rape. ]

“No…”  Thom Rainier said sadly, as he looked over to the slump body the other Grey-Wardens showed him inside the far end of the cavern.  
  
 Thom fell to the ground in shock, holding on to another Grey-Warden's arm for support.    
  
“That’s not her. It can’t be. She’s not---She wasn’t---”. He tried to tell his fellow Wardens that this must have been mistake, that this couldn't be her, but his voice turned terribly hoarse in fear and sadness because of the inevitable.   
  
It was her. 

They knew about her. They knew she was missing and they knew he was looking for her. They were silent, eyes cast down or away, not knowing what to say to their higher in command.  
  
They verified it the moment they first stumbled upon her body.   
  
He stood up and walked closer to her body in silence to see more clearly for himself.  
  
It was stricken with taint and sickly bloated in some areas due to decomposition.  
  
 She’s been dead for more than a couple of days.

“----A ghoul?” Thom Rainier whispered to himself, eyes blurry at the brink of tears. “Maker’s breath, she turned into a ghoul…”

“Thom,” A Grey Warden called out to him near the entrance of the cavern, her voice clear, never faltering. “If it’s any consolation, she didn’t turn into a broodmother. She died before that could happen, before they made her into one.”

Thom Rainier, crouched down near her and reached out a single hand hesitantly toward her body, his armor reflecting against the decaying flesh and bone of his former lover in the strange pale-blue dim light that came through the crevices on the cavern ceiling.

 She was beautiful, once.  She always was to him, no matter what happened but she was gone now.   
  
It pained him greatly to see her image and body defiled so badly. Her horns that she cared for so deeply, that was gilded in iron--- was now rusted. Her size and strength all but diminished, her body looked  fragile and  her skin clung to her bones. Even her eyes, that was green and lively were no longer, all that remained looking back at him was her empty eye-sockets staring at him, dark and hollow full of judgement.

_Where were you?_  If the dead could speak, that’s certainly what she would say. _Where were you when I needed you?_

Thom Rainier stopped before he touched her blotchy face, clenching his hand into a fist in frustration.    
  
Everything about her looked cold and twisted.

“I’m so sorry.” He told her, hoping her spirit was listening from above. She, of all people, deserved to be with the Maker and Andraste. “I was too late. I told myself that we needed time apart and look what happened---I should have looked for you sooner.”

Thom sighed solemnly and closed his eyes briefly trying to still his mind and heart, even for a moment.

Now somewhat composed, his grim eyes now focused on her right hand that gripped a small hand-made dagger out of rusted scrap-metal held together by twine. Thom found it odd though that she clutched the dagger that way since her index finger was resting on-top the hilt.

In a way, it made it appear as if her index finger pointed to an uneven patch of dirt that was close by.

He went over to the right side of her body and started digging at the uneven patch of dirt.

Thom found the journal he’d given her a while ago.


	2. Chapter 2

Thom flipped the pages of the journal until he found her first hastily written entry; what was left of the journal was barely eligible. Every entry made after her capture was written in haste and smudged with blood, charcoal, and dirt.

 

 

_They are coming. My leg is broken, I cannot move. So few arrows left. I can’t remember what happened to my dagger.  I should have left a trail. I hope someone finds me soon before they do…_

  
  
Thom couldn’t read the rest of the page due to rot. The Grey Warden flipped to the next page reading what was left behind as best as he could.

 

_They have captured me. I haven’t eaten in days and my thirst is unbearable. My leg has turned black now. Becoming delusional. I miss him. I miss everyone. I hate the dark. I hate that I have become accustomed to it now. I can see their eyes staring at me, even from afar.  I can’t fight them, even if I tried._

  
  
Thom Rainer cursed himself internally for not looking into her disappearance sooner. He knew how her fate would end but he still read on.

_I had to eat what they gave me. I was starving. I’m sorry. I feel worse. I feel different. I don’t like this type of different… I used to be someone. I am not that someone anymore though, I…. I hope they will forgive me. I hope he will, most of all._

  
  
Rainer’s face turned sour with disgust and he felt his chest ache deeply in regret. He flipped the next page only to find it turn to mush in his hand. Angrily he threw it away and breathed deeply in frustration as he read the page after.

_Tired now… I’m barely awake most days. I don’t know why I’m still alive. I don’t want to be anymore since they tried to---they---._

  
  
Rainer openly sobbed now as he held her journal tightly in his hands, shaking with anger and melancholy.  No one consoled him and he didn’t honestly expect them to---how could they? Thom read her last entry as his tears kept falling and his chest ached terribly.

 _I want to die. Their armor is so old some pieces fall off sometimes when they stop by, they don’t notice when it happens. That’s my way out. I love you, Rainer. If ever read this, I had to. I couldn’t wait. I couldn’t let this happen to me any longer. I’m sorry for failing you, for failing our friends, and those who needed us._  
  
_Goodbye._

 

Hastily standing up, he turned around to face the other Grey-Wardens and dropped the journal in anguish.

“Destroy this place.” He said to them gruffly, his face twisted and eyes burning in anguish. “Burn it down, explode it, whatever it takes to make sure they won’t use the main entry points we found today.”

Half the squad bowed and saluted while the other half remained. “And what of the Inquisitor?” A voice said softly from the group. He couldn't tell who it was. His focus was clearly elsewhere. 

Thom Rainer turned back to the Inquisitor's body, he kneeled down and carried her corpse, cradling her with the utmost care.  “She deserves a proper burial.”

“And what of her journal?” A different voice said. 

“Leave it. Let it burn down with the rest of this shithole.” Thom replied not looking back as he carried out his dead lover from the cavern and out into the dwindling light of day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well the tragedy is finished. Thanks for enduring this pain and sadness with me.  
> Comments and critiques are always welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> Me *sips tea*: Wow, I love tragedy. 
> 
> Feel free to comment and critique if you can. I enjoy feedback.


End file.
